Your Future In Restaurants Starts Here

We are dedicated to changing lives and uplifting communities.

The Educational Foundation empowers people from all backgrounds with the training and education they need to secure a better future.

We do this through the vast opportunities offered in the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry.

2022 National ProStart® Invitational

READ ABOUT THE WINNING TEAMS

WATCH THE 2022 NPSI AWARDS GALA ON VIMEO

WATCH THE 2022 NPSI OPENING CEREMONIES RECORDING ON FACEBOOK!

2021 NRAEF Impact Report

Join us as we celebrate the people behind the restaurant industry’s big comeback. Their powerful stories of perseverance, community engagement and inclusion inspire us all to do our part.

Journeys that Inspire continues with our Community Service series of uplifting stories, brought to you by American Express. It features members of the restaurant industry who demonstrated exceptional resilience and adaptability during the pandemic, and then extended that strength by supporting their local communities.

Read the Press Release
Read all of the Journeys that Inspire - Community Service

Lebanese Taverna
Washington, DC Metro Area

The Abi-Najm started Lebanese Taverna after escaping Lebanon's Civil War. The family remains very active in the local community, having recently prepared 1,000 meals for Afghan refugees arriving to the city after a harrowing journey and raising $150,000 for the Lebanese Red Cross and World Central Kitchen, immediately following an explosion in Beirut in 2020.

Elephants Delicatessen
Portland, Oregon

This Certified B Corporation “uses the power of business to solve social and economic problems,” adopting a low-income apartment building and stocking its food pantry. Aiming to “help people help people,” Elephants introduced the “Good Neighbor Menu,” featuring well-priced meals that can be purchased, donated and delivered to shelters, healthcare workers and first responders.

Canlis
Seattle, Washington

Third-generation owners Mark and Brian Canlis personify reinvention and resilience. When they were forced to temporarily close their fine-dining restaurant, they transformed their business into a drive-in movie theater, roadside BBQ and a crab shack. They launched Canlis Community College, live streaming classes on food & wine, raising $60,000 for local hunger relief and job training.

Journeys that Inspire - Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion starts the series of uplifting stories, brought to you by PepsiCo. It features members of the restaurant industry who have championed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and in many cases achieved the American Dream as immigrants to this country.

Read the Press Release

Read all of the Journeys that Inspire - Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion - Brought to you by PepsiCo

The ProStart® Virtual Lounge is Live!

The ProStart Virtual Lounge, powered by Coca-Cola, is a new interactive networking site for the national ProStart community, including current and former students, educators, state coordinators, and mentors from the restaurant and foodservice industry.

The Virtual Lounge is a great place to chat with other students from across the country, track progress on individual goals, and check out exclusive culinary demos, tutorials, and enter contests that are only open to members of the ProStart community.

The Student Lounge is also a great place to meet students before competing together in local, state, and National ProStart Invitational competitions.

REGISTER TODAY!

NRAEF News

Delaware and Texas Students Win Top Honors at 2022 National ProStart Invitational

Culinary and restaurant management competition was first in-person event in three years and featured $200,000 in scholarship funds for winning teams. ProStart Educators of Excellence also announced at the NPSI 2022 Awards Gala on May 8 at the Washington Hilton, D.C.

Read the Press Release

NRAEF partners with “GRACE” to Celebrate Cultural Diversity & Traditions of Black-Owned Restaurants

The foundation announced its support for the new musical GRACE, which began its world premiere engagement at the historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and runs through May 14, 2022.

Read the Press Release

The Coca-Cola Company Turns Restaurant Workers Into Leaders

The Coca-Cola Company has contributed $250,000 to support efforts to share the NRAEF’s Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) with National Restaurant Association members and the industry at large.

Read the press release

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Scholarships

Since 1987, we’ve helped nearly 2,000 students with merit-based undergraduate scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $10,000.

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Apprenticeships

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Certifications

Whether you want to get ServSafe certified or become a Certified Secondary Foodservice Educator, we have you covered.

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